Harvey who?  Port Aransas celebrated its 107th Birthday with several traditional Old Town Festival events.  The Expression Session Surf Contest felt like an ocean-centric revival of the spirit. Folks gathered, cheered, photographed, swam, surfed, ate, laughed and played on the beach. It was a gorgeous day! Thanks to everyone who stepped up to make it happen, especially Cameron Pratt, the first to say, “We’re gonna do this!”

When it’s windy, hot, and crowded on the beach,  the evenings on the backside of our island  are  blissful.  The last two are shared here.      In Piper flats light breezes blowing through the mangroves surrounds you with a whistling  sound as you drift along.  Herons squawk loudly and egrets track your every move.    At Charlie’s Pasture  jackrabbits bound on and off the trails, often leading you on a good chase.  Water birds loop above then land for a stroll in the flats.

Whether you walk, run, bike or boat the other side is the best place to be at sunset.

If you weren’t at the Port Aransas Beach Pole Vault meet on Saturday,   you missed some red hot action!    Temperatures were high,  so was that bar the athletes fearlessly  flung themselves over   The best women jumped 14 feet and the men 18 feet;   but the dedication and effort exhibited by all the competitors was world class.    The coaches will tell you pole vaulting is all about speed,  but without that intangible “thing,”   raw talent only takes you so far.   These guys and gals have it.   Good luck to all the vaulters and the future world campions that came to Port A to showcase their skills.

Congratulations to Greg West of West Athletics Vaults Crew-  It was a spectacular event. Click here for results/info.

Remember those cheesy Father’s Day cards with pictures of fish, boats, and camping gear?   Well,  at least for most Port A dads,   these are common passions.    A few days ago,  Des ventured over to the north jetty,  yes on a surfboard,  and lured in one after another.   Frying up the speckled trout will be a family affair today.    Let’s feast!

                          Happy  World Oceans Day!

From river racing canoe to ocean cruiser, this boat has been transformed into a unique, single-man exploration vessel.  Ask Dave or Des for the whole story and Scott can fill in the Austin viewers. It’s a beauty and it’s for sale!

(comment below for inquiries)

Stan Weston, the creator of the G.I. Joe military action figured passed away on May 1st.   After learning a bit more about the maker,  we decided to pull these dudes out of their GI Joe lockers and play.   My son bought a nice collection at a garage sale a few years ago.   Their outfits and gear are cool, of course, but I was surprised when we pushed a  button and heard one speak  Korean, Vietnamese, or Japanese; I’m not sure which.

GI Joe’s were the first articulating dolls and, boy do I remember the first time I got my hands on one.   I  really pushed the limits of those joints!   Their fuzzy hair and beards and that scar fascinated me.   He was way neater than barbie.

Anyway, I found out that Stan Weston sold his concept to Hasbro in 1963 for $100,000 and declined the tiny royalty offer.   Since 1964 something like 400 million G.I. Joe’s have been sold,  so if you do the math, that’s a few billion dollars in sales.   A year before his death he was able to settle with the toy company, and hopefully, at age 83, got a few bucks back!

Here’s to you Stan, and everybody out there who had a great idea that made someone else rich!   But the joy you brought to boys, and girls, is priceless.

I  like  this  photo;   the  feathering  wave  is  good  size,  similar  to  our  last  wind  swell.   Nice  to  see  3  surfers  sharing  the  wave  too.

Also,  I  appreciate  the  image  because  it  was  taken  on  slide  film,   the medium  I  learned  with.   It’s  known  as  color  positive  film,  “slide,”  or  “transparency”  film.   No negatives.  What  you shot  was  what  you  got.  Exposure  couldn’t  be  adjusted  in  development  so  you  had  to  know  your  settings  in  different  light   by  heart.   And  there  was  no  autofocus,  you  chose  the  focal  length  and  hoped  the  image  was  in  focus,  or  used  manual  and  lined  up  little  blurry  half  circles  over  the  subject.   Remember?    Oh,  the  anticipation  of  pulling  a  newly  processed  slide  from  the  box  and  holding  it  up  to  the  light  to view  it  for the  first  time!    Sometimes  I   got  a  gem.

Thanks,  Ewell.

The Port A Surf-a-rama continued with north by northwest wind conditions all day.  It was a Sunday worth re-living!

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Monster Wave and Surfer Show at the pier!

more photos of afternoon session to come.